Current News

BERKELEY, CA
November 11, 2009 – Councilman Jesse Arreguin co-sponsored the law to ban the practice of declawing cats; it was unanimously passed by the Berkeley City Council. Councilman Arreguin called the procedure “horrific” and only for the benefit of the owner. Unless there is a medical reason, people who violate the ban could face up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $1000.
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MEDFORD, MA
November 9, 2009 – State Representative Sean Garballey has testified on behalf of legislation he introduced that will require insurance companies in Massachusetts to provide coverage for hearing aids for children. “I don’t think we should be creating barriers to something so essential to quality of life,” said Rep. Garballey. “This is especially disheartening because certain providers offered some coverage of hearing aids, but now have dropped the benefit.”
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MADISON, WI
October 23, 2009 – State Representative Gordon Hintz is co-sponsoring a state Supreme Court campaign reform bill that would raise the amount of money that voters could donate to public financing and would then put the extra money into a “democracy trust fund” that would be used for judicial elections. “Increased outside influence, negativity and distortion that have plagued our last few judicial races have created a perception that our justice system is no longer impartial,” Rep. Hintz said. “It’s hard to imagine a citizen going before a judge in Wisconsin in a case where opposition has made a significant investment in that judge’s campaign.”
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BILOXI, MS
October 12, 2009 – Mississippi is one of only eight states without laws that stop insurance companies from using domestic violence as a pre-existing condition to deny health insurance. "Victims of domestic violence feel like they're getting hit twice, whenever the actual crime happens and again when they're denied by their insurance company," Representative Brandon Jones said. Rep. Jones is pushing for legislation that will prevent insurance companies from discriminating against domestic abuse victims. "The benefit of a bill like this is that there will be no second guessing. You would know right from the start that you could not deny coverage or not write a policy on the basis of this," Rep. Jones said.
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MADISON, WI
September 29, 2009 – State Representative Tamara Grigsby has introduced the Healthy Youth Act; this legislation will require schools that choose to provide human growth and development courses to do so in an age appropriate and medically accurate way. This will include information on the risks and benefits of contraception, the effectiveness of abstinence as the best way to prevent abstinence and STDs, and the importance of communication with parents or guardians.
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MADISON, WI
September 29, 2009 – State Representative Cory Mason has introduced a bill that will create healthier and more environmentally friendly cleaning standards for schools and state buildings. The aim is to protect and improve the health of students and other residents by not using harsh chemicals. “As we combat public health challenges such as the H1N1 flu virus, it is more important than ever to ensure a safe, healthy indoor environment for our state’s residents,” said Rep. Mason.
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LOS ANGELES, CA
September 9, 2009 – California Assemblyman Tony Mendoza has sponsored a bill, headed to Gov. Schwarzenegger for signing, which will narrow the category of jobs for which employers can investigate the financial backgrounds of applicants, and use credit checks as a means of job screening. "Work history should be the major factor in determining [a candidate's] ability to perform," Rep. Mendoza said. The positions that would still allow for credit checks will be those where employees have access to large amounts of cash, valuables, or confidential information, as well as managerial and law enforcement positions.
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AUSTIN, TX
August, 31, 2009 – A new bill sponsored by Texas State Representative Ryan Guillen will increase the penalties for those who defraud senior citizens. The bill will allow prosecutors to increase the category of the offense, and the penalty, for forgery, credit and debit card abuse, or identity theft, if the victim is an elderly individual.
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CHICAGO, IL
August 14, 2009 – The link between animal abuse and child abuse has been affirmed, as Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law a bill co-sponsored by Illinois State Representative Susana Mendoza. The new law will require animal welfare and child welfare agencies to report suspected abuse incidents to each another.
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BOSTON, MA
August 10, 2009 – State Representative Carl Sciortino has joined other Massachusetts state legislators to fight the proposed MBTA fare hikes. "It's our belief that with the investment we've made in our transportation infrastructure – with the Transportation Reform Bill, with $160 million invested into the T for this year – we have done what was asked of us to offset the deed for fare increases and service cuts this year," Rep. Sciortino said.
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Past News Stories

LEWISTON, ME
July 31, 2009 – House Speaker Hannah Pingree and her mother U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree testified before the U.S. House Administration Committee, touting the Maine Clean Election Act as evidence that public financing can work. "(It) has encouraged many nontraditional candidates to run — from young people and women to working people and single mothers — because they don't have to have networks and wealthy friends or industry support to be successful," Rep. Hannah Pingree said. "You have to question a system where great personal wealth can make someone more attractive to party groups, simply because they won't require as much funding help."
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PHILADELPHIA, PA
July 29, 2009 – Congressman Patrick Murphy is co-sponsoring legislation to reduce healthcare fraud. The Improving Medicare and Medicaid Policy for Reimbursements through Oversight and Efficiency (IMPROVE) Act would require government programs to pay providers and suppliers using only direct deposit into bank accounts, instead of mailing reimbursement checks to post office boxes.
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ST. PAUL, MN
July 23, 2009 – City Councilman Melvin Carter is supporting a campaign to implement instant run-off voting, which will allow voters to specify a second and third choice candidate, in case their first choice candidate loses. "We have a chance to eliminate some of those wasted votes and that decision that so many people have to make when they go to the polls and say, 'Do I want to cast a vote for that person I really, really, really believe in, or do I want to take the pragmatic route?'" Councilman Carter said.
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BEND, OR
March 18, 2009 – State Representative Sara Gelser was one of the chief sponsor’s of “Karly’s Law,” which is aimed to improve child abuse investigations in Oregon, named after a 3-year old murdered following unsubstantiated abuse claims. “Karly’s murder was a tragedy that cannot be remedied. However, Karly’s legacy is that children in Oregon are safer today because of legislation passed in her memory. Because of Karly, more children are able to get the help they need when they need it.  Fewer children are left to languish for months or years in abusive environments,” said Rep. Gelser.
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NEW YORK, NY
March 15, 2009 – City Councilman Eric Gioia will unveil a plan to allow needy New Yorkers to apply for food stamps online, and then get the required finger printing done later.  "You can buy anything imaginable online, and yet in New York City, you still can't sign up for food stamps…Working mothers simply can't take off work to stand in line all day," Councilman Gioia said.
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BIRMINGHAM, AL
March 23, 2009 – State Representative Merika Coleman has introduced a bill that will require hospitals to disclose information to patients about financial assistance programs for which they may be eligible.
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ROCK HILL, SC
March 25, 2009 – State Representative Todd Rutherford, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, has praised the “Friendship Nine Act” and will add his name as a co-sponsor. The bill will create a process for convicted civil rights protesters who challenged segregation or racial discrimination before 1980 to have their convictions forgiven.
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RALEIGH, NC
March 11, 2009 – State Representative Tricia Cotham is the House co-sponsor for the School Violence Prevention Act, a bill that will require North Carolina school districts to adopt detailed anti-bullying policies. She believes that the state needs to ensure that every child has a safe school environment.
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PHOENIX, AZ
March 15, 2009 – In response to increasing sex trafficking problems in Arizona, State Representative Kyrsten Sinema recently co-sponsored legislation that seeks to make the crime of human trafficking smuggling a felony.
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PORTLAND, OR
March 6, 2009 – State Representative Sara Gelser heads up the House Committee that is considering legislation to update and strengthen Oregon’s anti-bullying statute. The new bill will ensure statewide adoption of anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, create clear notice and complaint procedures, and establish a comprehensive approach to address bullying. This comes as a response to a recent report that points to a prevalence of bullying in Oregon schools.
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LEHIGH ACRES, FL
March 3, 2009 – State Senator Dave Aronberg is sponsoring legislation that will create a free, user-friendly website for taxpayers to see how the state is spending their tax dollars. "Our state prides itself as having a government in the sunshine. It gets a little bit cloudy, however when it comes to accounting for the dollars and cents used to run that government…When the money trail is laid out in simple and understandable terms, it gives a much better picture of where the spending occurs, and on what," Aronberg said in a press release.
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AUSTIN, TX
March 2, 2009 – State Representative Trey Martinez-Fisher is sponsoring a whistleblower protection bill, also known as the Free Flow of Information Act. This legislation will grant journalists the right not to have to reveal confidential sources in certain situations, in an effort to protect the identities of whistleblowers. 
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RENO, NV
February 21, 2009 -- State Senator Steven Horsford has introduced legislation to use part of Nevada’s stimulus money on green jobs training. His bill would fund both the programs to train green workers and the weatherization projects that would employ them to make schools and government buildings more energy efficient. “We can no longer depend on the good times elsewhere to make sure that Nevada prospers. We need to diversify our work force, and we need to do better than we have in the past,” said Rep. Horsford.
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GREENVILLE, MS
February 20, 2009 -- Mayor Heather Hudson addressed "bringing the money home" and focusing on rural communities as well as urban ones on CNN's Campbell Brown.
See the clip in YouTube

PIERRE, SD
February 24, 2009 – The South Dakota House of Representatives approved legislation authorizing a 40-acre West River Higher Education Center in Rapid City, one day after the measure had fallen short on the first try. Helping change minds was an amendment attached by Representative Kevin Killer, providing $100,000 of state funding for student incentive grants and tuition equalization grants, which can be used at post-high school institutions including tribal colleges.
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MADISON, WI
January 22, 2009 – State Representative Cory Mason is presenting a bill to restore the federal civil rights to state and University of Wisconsin System employees. At the moment, the Family Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standard Act, and the Age Discrimination Employment Act, do not fully apply to state and university workers as they do for private employees in the state. “The court unfortunately said they don’t believe state employees get equal protection under the law because of the 11th Amendment,” Rep. Mason said. “We’re restoring the same civil rights that every other employee in the state gets to over 60,000 employees.”
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NEW YORK, NY
January 19, 2009 – Councilman Eric Gioia is proposing a pilot program that will require community service from New York City high school students in order to graduate. Starting in their junior year, students will have to perform twenty hours of community service over the two years at Department of Education approved institutions, such as non-profits, hospitals, cultural institutions, and community organizations. “It wouldn’t require legislation,” said Rep. Gioia, “Just a change in policy in the Department of Education.”
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DENVER, CO
January 16, 2009 - State Representative Mark Ferrandino is co-sponsoring legislation that would extend health care benefits to same-sex partners of state workers. Rep. Ferrandino believes this bill will establish equity between homosexual and heterosexual employees.
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CHICAGO, IL
December 12, 2008 – State Senator Michael Frerichs co-sponsored legislation that creates the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. This legislation gives the Commission the task of developing a strategic plan to reduce extreme poverty in Illinois by 50 percent by the year 2015. The plan will focus on eight basic areas: affordable housing, adequate food and nutrition, affordable and quality health care, equal access to quality education, dependable and affordable transportation, quality and affordable child care, opportunities to engage in sustainable work that pays a living wage, and availability of adequate income supports.  
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
December 19, 2008 – State Senator Kenneth Corn plans to introduce legislation that provides scholarships for high school graduates to attend Oklahoma colleges and universities. The Second Century Promise Act will pay for the first two years of tuition for students who earn a 2.0 grade point average and whose family income is less than $50,000.
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RICHMOND, VA
January 7, 2009 - Delegate David Englin has filed legislation to repeal the 2006 Virginia amendment that outlawed same-sex marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, and any state recognition of legal status for same-sex relationships.  "This is an uphill battle in a state like Virginia. However, in light of the setback to equal rights resulting from California's Proposition 8, now more than ever we need everyone in our country who supports equal rights -- no matter what state they live in -- to stand up and say that laws denying people equal freedom are wrong and un-American," said Englin. "What better place to take a stand for equal rights than Virginia, whose greatest leaders defined the very rights we hold dear as Americans? After all, it was a Virginian named George Washington who promised us a government that would give 'to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance,' and it was a Virginian named Thomas Jefferson who extolled the self-evident truth that all people are created equal." The repeal effort must take the form of a constitutional amendment, which means Englin's legislation must pass the General Assembly twice with an intervening election and then be approved by public referendum.
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LANSING, MI
December 4, 2008 – State Senator Tupac Hunter has sponsored a bill that will expand the Individual or Family Development Account Program to help families save for qualified home improvements. The program was created in 2006 to give low-income earners the opportunity to save for a home, college education, or a business and receive matching funds from public or private sources. “This is a good program that helps individuals and families improve their lives,” said Hunter. “Expanding the program will give people a better chance to save for what they need, and increase the value of their home by purchasing and installing energy efficient products.”
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TALLAHASSEE, FL
November 26, 2008 -- The Tallahassee City Commission unanimously approved a plan to help Tallahassee’s neediest residents. The Good Neighbor Program will use money leftover from a former contractual dispute to provide utility bill assistance and help with making homes more energy efficient. "It's really the difference between just giving someone a fish and actually teaching them to fish," said Mayor Pro-Tem Andrew Gillum.
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LOS ANGELES, CA
November 21, 2008 -- The L.A. City Council has voted to draft a law that will ban banks and financial institutions from evicting renters whose landlords have lost their buildings due to foreclosure. Council President Eric Garcetti, who proposed these new protections, believes this will prevent further destabilization of neighborhoods already struggling from foreclosures. "This is a crisis that requires immediate action," he said.
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BEVERLY, MA
July 4, 2008 -- State Representatives Mark Falzone and Kathi-Anne Reinstein announced that the Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously approved a sweeping energy reform bill. This landmark legislation aims to reduce the Commonwealth’s dependency on foreign energy and have utility companies increase their production of cleaner, renewable energy. This will help consumers make drastic cost savings, create a healthier environment, and create new job opportunities.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA
July 3, 2008 -- Efforts to fold a youth employment tax credit for businesses and nonprofit organizations into Pennsylvania's new budget have fallen short, but the measure could pass as a standalone bill in the fall, its author said. State Representative Josh Shapiro designed the Youth Employment Incentive Tax Credit to allow companies and nonprofits that provide internships for lower-income people ages 14 to 21 to apply for tax credits totaling 70 percent of the expenses (such as wages, fringe benefits and training) related to those internships. “If you want to help young people stay off the streets, the best way to do it is with education and job opportunities and this does both,” said State Representative Josh Shapiro, who added such internships could even help curb youth violence.
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ST. LOUIS, MOZ
June 30, 2008 -- Missouri college students could pay less for textbooks under a new state law that requires publishers to disclose wholesale prices of books to professors. Publishers also are to point out changes that have been made from a textbook's previous editions. The idea is for professors to be able to compare book content and choose books that are still relevant to their classes, but more affordable. Professors will be able to see whether a book's used, earlier edition has the same content as a newer version. Governor Matt Blunt signed the Textbook Transparency Act into law last week. Democratic Representative Jake Zimmerman, the law's sponsor, says his measure won't help the price of new textbooks but could give students and their instructors more ways to save money.
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NEWARK, DE
June 28, 2008 -- Article by City Councilman Ezra Temko. As the current legislative session draws to a close, we feel compelled to share our perspective on issues affecting Newark. We are excited that Delaware is making an investment in wind power. This is the right choice environmentally and economically. From peak oil to global warming, there are unsustainable premiums being paid for fossil fuels. Our municipalities will be the first in the nation to sign an offshore wind power agreement. We welcome Bluewater Wind to our state. Welcoming to Delaware a green technology-driven industry such as Bluewater Wind will help to transform our transitioning economy into one that builds upon exploration, innovation and sustainability.
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OAKLAND COUNTY, MI
June 27, 2008 -- With several Oakland County communities already designated "Cool Cities" by the Sierra Club, one county commissioner is hoping to take it one step further by making Oakland a "Cool County" in part through new "green" building standards. A completely different program from Gov. Jennifer Granholm's 2003 initiative to revitalize Michigan's cities to retain young workers, County Commissioner David Woodward introduced the proposal June 19. "In a county of our size, a major county in the country, I feel there's a way we can all contribute," Woodward said. "We should really be a part of the solution in confronting global warming and climate change that is before us."
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AUGUSTA, ME
State Representative and Majority Leader Hannah Pingree was featured by CBS News:

PITTSBURGH, PA
June 24, 2008 -- With environmental leaders in tow, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl last week expanded the city’s green efforts with a $100,000 dollar check for a new trust fund that will further Pittsburgh’s position as one of the nation’s “top green cities.” “Though we’ve already made great strides in reducing our city’s carbon footprint, the creation of this green fund demonstrates how serious city government is about being green,” Mayor Ravenstahl said. “Whether it’s greening dozens of vacant lots, running diesel engines with clean-burning bio-diesel, or retrofitting traffic lights to make them more energy efficient, we have the momentum it takes to take this city to the next level of green.”
Read More. http://www.sopghreporter.com/lukeravenstahl

PITTSBURGH, PA
June 23, 2008 -- The state House is expected to vote this week on a measure that would require the state's pension funds to divest from companies doing business in Iran and Sudan, both of which are on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist regimes. Deputy Speaker Josh Shapiro began the effort proposing divestment in all countries on the State Department's list, which includes North Korea and Syria. But Shapiro, the sponsor, said he was able to garner the most support by targeting Sudan and Iran. "We need to use the economic power of the commonwealth to isolate our enemies and support our allies," Shapiro said.
Read More. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_574068.html

PITTSBURGH, PA
June 22, 2008 -- Mayor Luke Ravenstahl signed legislation creating a new domestic partner registry in the city of Pittsburgh. The mayor signed the measure Saturday during the city's Gay Pride Parade downtown. "We're going to continue to look for ways to make sure that Pittsburgh is a progressive city - a city that's growing and a city that can be America's most livable city, for everybody," Ravenstahl said. The measure allows straight or gay couples who are city residents to gain official recognition of their relationships and to use the registration as criteria for sharing benefits.
Read More. http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/16679607/detail.html

SACRAMENTO, CA
June 19, 2008 -- State Assemblyman Tony Mendoza wants the state to provide textbooks specifically to serve students who are just learning English. The bill, AB 2135, took another step toward passage when the state Senate Education Committee voted 6-3 to approve it, sending it to the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Assembly approved the bill on a 46-30 vote in May. "I am extremely pleased that my colleagues in the Senate see the need for additional core curriculum for students that are transitioning into English as their primary language," said Mendoza.
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CORYDON, IN
June 18, 2008 -- Indiana State Representative Dennie Oxley has been chosen to be the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jill Long Thompson. In an announcement made Monday during a trip that included several Indiana cities, Thompson called Oxley a "perfect fit." Oxley, a native of Crawford County, began his career as a teacher and administrator for the Crawford County Community School Corp. and now works as a project coordinator with the Indianapolis engineering firm Beam, Longest and Neff LLC. “It's a great honor to be asked to be a part of this team," Oxley said Monday. "I'm excited about the opportunity. Our economy is lagging. Gas prices, health care costs and home foreclosures are at an all-time high. We have to start growing our economy.”
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LAFAYETTE, IN
June 14, 2008 -- Three-day weekends could become the norm for county employees if a plan being explored by the Tippecanoe County Commissioners moves forward. County Assessor Samantha Steele said she thinks it's a progressive idea for the county that could help cut costs. She believes offering longer hours on four days each week could help the residents who need to get in and visit her office. "Taxpayers who work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. don't have a time to come in, unless they have the privilege of having an hour lunch, which many don't," Steele said. "And even then, having to drive across town and back again takes up their entire lunch hour."
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SANTA CRUZ, CA

June 11, 2008 -- The Santa Cruz City Hall Courtyard will be available for same-sex marriages June 17 from 5-8 p.m., Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty announced in a press release. June 17 is the first day that same-sex couples will be eligible to be married under the California Supreme Court’s ruling last month. “This is a major civil rights moment in the history of our country and I am glad that the city can play a small part,” Coonerty said.
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LOS ANGELES, CA

May 30, 2008 – Already barred from lighting up in restaurants, theaters and the office, Californians may also be banned from smoking in their apartments under a proposal passed by the state Senate on Thursday. The measure would allow landlords to prohibit smoking in apartment buildings they own to protect nonsmoking tenants from secondhand smoke. "This year, consumer protection bills are getting an added emphasis, given the limitations presented by the budget," said State Senator Alex Padilla. Padilla is the author of SB 1598, which would permit landlords to impose the smoking ban. California already prohibits smoking in many public places, including playgrounds, concert halls and some beaches. "While we have championed the efforts to protect adults in the workplace and bars, we have done very little in this state to protect children and their families in their own homes," Padilla told his colleagues. He said his bill would "increase the availability of smoke-free housing in California."
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ATLANTA, GA

May 27, 2008 – Article by State Representative Rob Teilhet. You get what you pay for. The recent news that Georgia students' scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests were significantly below what is expected only serves to underscore the simple, difficult truth. Our schools are falling further and further behind, and our students are becoming increasingly unprepared to become productive citizens in the future. Why can our elected officials not deliver on the simplest promises to our students? I believe that our problems with education can be traced to one significant cause.
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NEW YORK, NY

May 26, 2008 -- A new city proposal aims to give veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan more than just a parade. City Councilman Eric Gioia is recommending a new program that would guarantee paid municipal internships to all vets coming home from active duty. He's calling on city agencies to hold existing internship positions open and to create others as needed to give the men and women in uniform a fair shot at a city job. "I want them to know they do have an option, that this is something they can come back to," said Gioia.
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SANTA BARBARA, CA
May 22, 2008 -- On Thursday, May 15, the California Supreme Court overturned the ban on same-sex marriage, making headlines across the globe and attracting praise from the more than 108,000 Golden State households that are registered as gay. “Today, I am proud of the State of California and its Supreme Court,” Santa Barbara City Councilmember Helene Schneider said to loud applause. “They say June is a great month to get married, and that is certainly going to be true this June.”
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CAMPBELL, CA
MTV News features YEO and City Councilman Evan Low: